Los Angeles daily herald., 1887-08-07
DAILY HERALD.
FORESTRY CONGRESS.
Sixth Annual Meeting at
Springfield, Illinois.
THE WORK TO BE DONE.
A Statement of the Aims and
Objects of the National
Meeting.

American rOrestTy SonSrcoS VIII w
held in Springfield, Illinois, Septem-
Der 14th to 10th in response to an in
vitation tondered by the Legislature
Of that State and the California State
Board of Forestry has decided to send
. representative. The invitation was
embodied in the following form:
WHEREAS, The conservation OF the
forests of our common country is a
matter of deep interest to the well be-
ing of coming generations in supply
iae timber needs, the modifying OF
climate, and preservation OF water
supply, and,
WHEREAS, We have an association
Of thoughtful men, who labor for these
ends without fee or reward, known as
the American Forestry Congress,
therefore be it
Resolred, By the Senate, the. House
of Representatives concurring herein,
that the General Assembly of the
State of Illinois hereby tender the hos
pitality of our State and the free use
of the hall of Representatives
of the State of Illinois to the
American Forestry Congress for
their annual session in September
1887, and cordially invite said Asso-
citation to hold its next annual session
at the capital of this State"
A similar resolution was passed by
the Legislature of the State OF Ne
braska, but inasmuch as the last
meeting of the Congress was held in
the far West, the Executive Commit
tee have preferred to locate this years
meeting more centrally, and to ac-
cept the cordial invitation of the State
of Illinois.
A strong local committee will make
arrangements for the comfort and en-
ioyment of members and visitors to
the meeting in a manner fitting the
action of the State Legislature, and no
pains will be spared to meet the just
expectations of those attending. Par
ticulars of the meeting will be an
nounced later. A full attendance OF
members is urged to justify, and ap-
propriately respond to the courtesy OF
the State of Illinois. Papers upon
topics of interest are solicited from
members and friends. Those expect
ing to participate in the sessions are
requested to announce their intention
to the Secretary before Septem-
Der 1st, and to transmit the
titles of papers they wish to
read. Among others, the following
topics are suggested as specially fitted
for discussion at this meeting. "Ne-
cessity Of change of policy on the
part Of the government in regard to its
timber domain" Effects and re-
suits of forest legislation in the diff
ferent States" Suggestions in re-
gard to desirable forest legislation. >
"Status of artificial forest planting il
the prairie States, and suggestions il
regard to the same" methods o.
enlarging the effectiveness of the work
of the Forestry Congress.
1t is gratifying sign of progress
that the Legislatures of two great
States have recognized the value, and
given expression to their appreciation
Of the work OF the Forestry Congress,
by desiring it to hold its next meeting
in their capitols. Such recognition
may inspire to renewed effort those
who are laboring unselfishly in this
work of reform, and fill them with the
hope that at last their object will pe
attained; that rogress though slow.
is assured. 1t may be fitting on this
occasion once more to state the reason
of the existence and the object of the
Forestry Congress, for in spite of the
active propagandism which it has
maintained, or instigated in papers and
periodicals, and by the publication o.
discussions and proceedings, the full
scope of the work in hand seems not
yet generally understood. Although
there are still large districts of the
country densely wooded. Although
most of the forest areas possess such
vigorous power of recuperation as tC
lend countenance to the belief thai
natures efforts alone might suffice tC
repair the inroads made by man upor
the forest growth. Although substi
tutes for wood are possible in many
cases, and are already employed in
some, yet the Congress claims thai
the present reported forest area of the
country less than 100000, 900 acres,
cannot in its present condition and
under present methods of utilization
furnish continuous supply of wooC
OF all kinds even to our present popu
lation of 60,000,000, the annual con
sumption being over 20 billion feet
that the supply of building material
If slaughtered in the same manner as
heretofore, without regard to the re-
cuperation, will be practically ex
hausted before any new crop now
started can be nearly ready for use
that supplies will be inferior in quail
ty and inferior in amount per acre, il
left to natures methods of reforesta.
ton after the forcible interference by
man, while an increased population
will make larger demands on these
resources; that in spite of the employ
ment of substitutes, the consumption
of wood is increasing with tn,
increase of population all over tn,
world. (In Germany the consumption
of coal has increased 265 per cent
within "a years, and yet the WOO
production has increased in simila
ratio) that considered merely as re
CARDS material supply, the question {
forest preservation has reached stag
where the earnest attention of tn
economist is called for; that th
equilibrium of the forces regulatin
water supply and soil conditions
beginning to be disturbed, to the detr
ment of agriculture by needlessl
wasteful and improvident managemeI
of the forest areas that every patriot
citizen, every thinking man or woma
is concerned in the maintenance of
properly managed forest cover; sufi
cient both for material supplies an
for the comforts of civilized life.
The object of the congress then ar,
to eradicate the existing feeling
unconcern in regard to one of the mo-
important factors sofeconomic progress
to demonstrate the direct and indire,
xraIra of tho forest coyar in raIafio